RESIDENTS in the Cumnock area have been urged to look out for a dodgy cold caller pretending to collect money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

East Ayrshire Council Trading Standards issued a plea for vigilance, as a woman has been collecting money in the Cumnock area by telling households she is collecting for the charity.

An investigation led to the charity confirming that they have no volunteers carrying out door to door collections in the area.

The charity also confirmed to the Chronicle that they have reported the scammer to the police.

A spokesperson for East Ayrshire Council Trading Standards said: “We were made aware of a woman calling at homes in Cumnock claiming to be a collector for MacMillan Cancer Support by a member of our Vibrant Communities staff who took the initial call and contacted MacMillan Cancer Support to establish whether the caller was genuine.

“We were asked if we would advise members of the public to be vigilant and did so using Facebook which we find very effective in spreading such messages.”

Trading Standards have asked that residents follow some key rules to prevent door step crime such as always being suspicious of someone turning up at the door uninvited, regardless of their story.

Residents can also put a “No cold callers” sign that says uninvited callers are not welcome. These can be obtained from East Ayrshire Trading Standards Service by phoning 01563 576790 option 5, or emailing standards@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

If anyone thinks there is a door scammer on their street they can also call the police on 101. Or if they feel threatened on 999.